Author: A Selection
Publisher: Penguin
Year: 2002
Language: English
Pages: 211
ISBN/UPC (if available): 0670049344
Description
This volume, a celebratory volume capturing twenty years of the magazine's existence, brings together some of the most fascinating stories in Indian journalism. A judicious mix of hard news and features, the book contains twenty-five stories culled from the period between 1982 and 2002.
The news articles documenting events like the assassination of Mrs. Indira Gandhi and the Bhopal gas tragedy, brilliantly recreate incidents that shook the nation. An interview with
Pakistan’s President Zia-ul-Haq reveals the canny General at his best, while a psychiatrist’s in-depth analysis shows how Sachin Tendulkar’s brain works. Far removed from the world of the top brass is the poignant love story of a French girl who marries an Indian beggar afflicted with leprosy. While some stories are bizarre, like the one about the Aghora swamis who eat human flesh from burning pyres and mate with the dead, some are intriguing, like the one about the mysterious Peter Bleach who dropped a cache of guns in West Bengal.
The themes of the stories included here-ranging from militancy to the agony of women married and then deserted by NRIs-remain relevant even today, lending this collection a timeless quality. The hard-hitting reportage, the meticulous research, the sheer diversity of the subject matter and the distinct styles add to the reading pleasure.
Contents
Introduction
Au Revoir, Anne Marie
Indira Gandhi’s Assassination
The Bhopal Tragedy
First Indian with a New Heart
Islamic Bomb?
Forests Where Naxalites Rule
V Anand-Junior Chess Champion
Better Armed, Better Prepared
The Word’s Youngest MD
A Genius Vanishes
Man who moved a mountain
Tracking the Tigers
Careless Doctors, Greedy Hospitals
Anger in Ayodhya
Bombay Blasts
Germ War
Savage Swamis
The Mysterious Mr Bleach
Valley of White Husbands
Sachin’s Psyche
In Search of Orgasm
The Most Wanted Woman
Life in Chains
Holiday Wives
Godhra Carnage